Grade 4 pupil drowns; parents blame teacher

CEBU, Philippines - Parents of a 9-year-old grade 4 pupil have blamed a teacher for the death of their son who went swimming and then drowned Monday morning allegedly after being sent home because he had no excuse letter.

Jason James Vidal, a pupil at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base Elementary School in Lapu-Lapu City was declared dead at the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital.

But teacher Marilou Solabo denies the accusation.

 Police said Vidal and two classmates went swimming under the Marcelo Fernan bridge allegedly after Solabo told them to go home and secure excuse letters from their parents for being absent last week.

Instead of going home, the three boys decided to go swimming.

People who were strolling under the bridge saw the boys needing help. The two classmates were pulled out of the water just in time. Jason was underwater when help came.

The boy's parents, Seigfred and Yoly Vidal, said based on the testimony of the victim's classmates, Jason, together with his two classmates, left their classroom after Solabo told in the vernacular "kadtong way excuse letter, pauli."

But Solabo has denied the accusation saying Jason did not report for classes that day as the Form 1 attendance sheet would show.

The teacher said it is her custom to ask for an excuse letter from any of her pupils who report back to class after an absence.

Solabo said the last time she saw the boy in her class was in October 5 yet and records would show that Vidal was absent last October 7 and 10, the day when the boy drowned. (FREEMAN)